CDFW Seeks Applicants for 2021 Trap Gear Retrieval Program

A stack of retrieved trap gear in San Francisco. CDFW photo by M. Ivens-Duran

Stacks of retrieved trap gear in San Francisco. CDFW photo by M. Ivens-Duran

Heavily fouled crab trap lines in a retrieved trap. CDFW photo by M. Ivens-Duran

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking applicants for the 2021 Lost or Abandoned Commercial Dungeness Crab Trap Gear Retrieval Program. Removal of lost or abandoned trap gear reduces marine life entanglement risk during the summer months when large numbers of whales are present off California.

Spiny Lobster Report Cards Due by April 30

California spiny lobster and red sea urchins
CDFW photo by D. Stein

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reminds 2020-2021 spiny lobster report card holders to mail their cards or submit them online by April 30, 2021, as required by regulations.

Bull Kelp Working Group Launched

Bull kelp washed up on beach
photo by R. Flores-Miller

In December, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife hosted the first Bull Kelp Working Group (BKWG) meeting. The BKWG process is part of the ongoing effort by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Fish and Game Commission to review and consider changes for the commercial harvest of marine algae. The aim of the BKWG is to collaboratively develop potential regulatory changes to manage commercial bull kelp harvest that will consider a regional approach and specific harvest methods and data needs.

Sustainably Managing California’s Fisheries and Ecosystems During a Pandemic – Marine Region’s 2020 Year in Review and By the Numbers Reports

What did 2020 look like for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW’s) Marine Region? The 2020 Year in Review is now available along with its companion document 2020 By the Numbers. These reports provide overviews of the hurdles the Marine Region faced and accomplishments we achieved last year.

Fisheries Biologists Present California’s Ocean Salmon Forecast for 2021

Measuring an adipose fin-clipped Chinook salmon taken in the commercial fishery.
CDFW photo by G. Ghrist

At the annual Salmon Information Meeting held virtually today, state and federal fishery scientists presented estimates of catch in 2020 fisheries and spawner returns to rivers and hatcheries, as well as the expected salmon abundance for the upcoming fishing season.